Toy railway



June 16, 1936.

w.. B. RlTcl-HE ET AL TOY RAILWAY Filed July 7, 1952V Patented June 16, 1936 STATES PATENT i OFFICE, y

` TOY RAILWAY William B.y Ritchie: and Ralph L. Delano, New l Bedford, Mass., assignorsto Weeden Manufacturing CorporatiomNew Bedford, Mass., a corf poration of Massachusetts Application July 27, 1932.. Serial No. 621,228

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 246-174) Ourinventionz. relates toztoyf` railways',- and has Y of theengine cab. Herein thevalve casing is pro*- among` its. objectsfthei provision, in such atoy, vided with a. bore 43 with'` which communicates I of a vehiclejprovidedi-witha whistlerand having the pipe 33V leading fromk the boiler the bore: 43

Y means for generating a pressure fluid for autoopening into a chamber 45 with which communimatically blowing the whistle at selected predecates the pipe 35 leading-to the whistle. Below termined positions of the vehicle along the track; the chamber 45, and aligned with the bore 43, is

The invention will be best understood from the a larger bore 41 in which is reciprocally mounted following description when read in the light of a needle type valve 49 having a conical end which the accompanying drawing of an embodiment of is adapted to seat on the valve seat 5I formed lo the invention selected for illustrative purposes, at the end of the bore 43 so as to close communi- 10 the scope of which invention will be more parcation between the pipes 33 and 35. As illusticularly pointed out in the appended claims. trated, carried by the valve casing 31 is a bracket In the drawing:- 53 which pivotally supports at 55 a lever 51, one

Fig. 1 shows a toy locomotive, and a section of end of which latter is pivotally secured at 59 to .15 a track therefor, constructed according to the inthe lower end of the stern portion of the valve 49. l5

vention; Secured atV one end thereof to the iioor 4I of the Fig. 2 is a plan view of the track according to engine cab is a at spring 6I the other end of Fig. 1; which is bifurcated, as shown at 63, and embraces Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; the end of the lever 51 adjacent the pivotal point and Vof connection of the latter to the valve 49. This 20 Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are respectively sections on the VSpring acts 11011D3115? to hold the valve ,in closed lines 4`-4, 5-'5 and 6-6 of Fig. 2. DOStiOD- Referring to the drawing, the locomotive is pro- AS illustrated, fOr Opening the ValVe 49 and vided with a boiler l which is'heated by a resistblowing the whistle, the track carries an elonance coil 3, the latter at one end 5 being grounded gated cam member 65 in the form of a rod having 25 to the boiler, while its opposite end 1 is electrically at opposite ends dOWntllIned POItOnS 61 and 69, connected, by means comprising the support 9, the latter of which is inclined. As shown, the stud II, and cable I3, to a shoe I5which is in ends of these downturned portions 61 and 69 are sliding contact with the so-oaued third ran l1. screw threaded for receiving a pair oi nuts 1|- The wheelsof the vehicle are supported on the Between each pair of nuts is an upper clamping 30 outer pair of rails I9, the third rail I1, as shown, member 13, adapted to t between and engage the being between the rails I9. The tracks, as will upper sides of the flanges of adjacent rails I1 and be understood by those skilled in the art,'are I9, and a lower clamping member 15 adapted to made in detachable sections, each of which latter engage the lower sides of these flanges. VIn the comprises ties v2| for supporting the rails and present embodiment of the invention these clamp- 35 holding the latter in assembled relation. As ing members are of insulating material so as to shown, the iianges 23 of the outer rails I9 rest upon prevent short circuiting of the third rail with the upper webs 25 of the ties, which latter are the other rails. As shown, the upper member 13 struck up to provide clips 21 for engaging these is of such width that opposite edges thereof en- 40 flanges and securing the rails to the ties. The Vgage with the webs of the two rails,V which acts 40 third rail I1 is similarly supported by and secured toposition the cam member 65 accurately with to the ties except that a sheet of insulating marelation to said rails. Conveniently the width of terial 29 is inserted between the flange 23 of this the lower clamping member 15 is less than the rail and the clips 21. In this way the third rail width between the adjacent edges .of the anges is insulated from the ties and the outer rails, of the two rails so that when the member is 45 and enables the pair of rails I9 and the single turned 90 from the position shown by Fig. 2 third rail I1 to serve as Vthe opposite sides of a the cam member may be readily lifted from beline for energizing the heating resistance 3. tween the rails.

"\ As shown, the locomotive is provided with a, As shown, the lever 51 at its end opposite the o` whistle 3| adapted to be supplied with steam valve 49 has a downturned portion which carries 50 from the boiler through the pipes 33 and 35, a shoe 11 for engaging the cam member 65 when fluid communication between these pipes being the locomotive is moved in position for it to do so, controlled by a valve in the valve casing 31. the inclined portion 69 of the cam member per- As shown, the valve casing 31 is secured to a, mitting the engagement of the shoe with the cam 55 bracket 39 formed integrally with the floor 4I member without material shock. 55

It will be understood that, for a given speed of the locomotive, the duration of the blast of the Whistle is determined by the length of the cam member 65. It will also be understood that by employing several cam members of different lengths a series of blasts of different duration may be secured so as to cause the whistle to blow blasts which imitate the common whistle signals employed in railroading.

It will be understood that Wide deviations may be made from the above described embodiment of the invention without departing from the spirit of the latter.

We claim:

1. A toy railway having, in combination, a track comprising rails and adapted to support a wheeled vehicle having a wh'mtle and a valve for controlling said whistle, means for operating said valve comprising a lever carried by said vehicle and extending lengthwise thereof, an elongated rod parallel to said rails forming a cam for actuating said lever, means for supporting each of the opposite ends of said rod comprising a pair of members adapted to receive the adjacent flanges of a pair of said rails between them, said members' having aligned perforations through which the adjacent end of said rod extends, and relatively movable means carried by said rod above and below said members for clamping said members to said rails. Y

2. A toy railway having, in combination, a track adapted to support a wheeled vehicle having a whistle and a valve for controlling said Whistle, means for operating said valve comprising a lever having a pivot carried by said vehicle and a portion which extends from said pivot downwardly and lengthwise of said vehicle, a cam positioned between the rails of said track for engagement by the free end of said lever, said cam having an elongated, substantially horizontal portion in the plane ofsaid lever, and means adapted to be re'- movably and adjustably clamped to the flanges of opposed rails of said track for supporting said cam adjacent the opposite end portions thereof.

= WILLIAM B. RITCHIE.

RALPH L. DELANO. 

